


Iron & Chaos

by LMillay



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:27:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 18,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28649034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LMillay/pseuds/LMillay
Summary: Loki was the last person Tony Stark had worried about when you came to stay with him but it was made clear the pair of you shared an attraction. Before Tony could stop it, you began dating Loki and chaos ensued.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s), Loki/Tony Stark
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

You had been pushed on Tony by your mother, her cousin that she had been close to when she was younger, and he could never deny her much. She had begged him to take you for the summer, that you had become a handful and she was out of options. He at last agreed and you showed up to his home with your bags and a bad attitude. You hated how your mom shuffled you around, she had a new boyfriend and he had grown sick of your lip, encouraging her to get rid of you for at least the summer. You stepped out of the vehicle and half-listened to the annoying man who had chattered on the entire ride. He guided you into the building and the elevator as it brought up to Tony's place. The doors opened and you stared at the vast space that Tony called an apartment.

"Holy shit," you murmured and Happy looked at you. "This is huge," you said.

"Well Mr Stark is a very wealthy man, you didn't exactly expect him to live in the projects, did you?" he questioned, and you rolled your eyes. "He told me to make apologies for him but he won't be here until later tonight and his wife Pepper is busy as well, they said to put you up in this room," he said and pushed open the door on another large space.

"I can deal with this," you said, nodding your head as you entered and Happy paused at the door.

"Yeah, okay well, if you need anything...I guess you're welcome to it," he said with a shrug and was gone, you laid back in the large bed.

You had met Tony, met Pepper and they were lovely, accommodating. You had heard stories about Tony from your mother and you always half wondered if they hadn't been cousins if she would have tried to sleep with him. You were amazed at the food, the entertainment and everything else that came with the high lifestyle, you could get used to it.

\------

Tony had told you he had a meeting that was top secret, that he would very much appreciate that you keep yourself busy during the time and Pepper would take you shopping after with their credit card. You had agreed but grew restless. You started wandering around the home, trying to find everything out about it and heard voices down a hall, you followed them. It was a glass-enclosed room and you peered into it with as much seclusion as possible. The entire team of Avengers were there, and you stared in wonder at them, you had seen them on the news. You knew your mom's cousin had something to do with them, but you hadn't realized he was that close with them. As you stared, you felt someone's eyes on you, and you searched the room.

One man stood there, his arm crossed over his chest and his finger against his lips as he listened, but his blue eyes were on you. His black hair slicked back, he had a uniform of green and gold. He smiled, ever so slightly and you realized you were returning the smile.

"Did you need something?" Tony's voice came and you started, realizing he had poked his head out of the room.

"Oh, no, nothing," you muttered and backed away. "Just got lost," you said, and he nodded, returning to the room. You looked to the other man for a moment, his eyes still on you and you turned, going back to your room. You smiled to yourself, whoever that man was, he was good looking and seemed to carry trouble with him.

\-------

You were lounging on the couch in the Livingroom watching television when you felt a presence and looked, the same man entered the room.

"Hello, I'm Loki," he introduced, and you smiled.

"Hi, I'm Tahlia," you returned, and he smiled.

"Do you live with Tony?" he asked, and you nodded.

"I do, where are you from?" you inquired.

"Ah, I am from..." he trailed as though he was thinking how to describe it. "A place far away," he decided upon and you nodded slowly.

"Fascinating," you retorted, and he smiled. "Why are you here?" you asked, looking past him and he shrugged.

"To see what Tony had to offer," he explained.

"Oh, that's strange," you commented, and he smiled.

"I'm a strange guy," he said, and you nodded.

"Ah, Loki! Was there more you need?" Happy asked coming into the room and you rolled your eyes, that guy was becoming a real pain in your ass.

"No, no, I think I'm all set, thank you Happy," he said with almost a sarcastic nature and you smiled. "Tahlia, lovely to meet you," he stated, and you nodded.

"You too, Loki," you said emphasizing his name and he smiled at you, then marched down the hall towards the door. Happy watched him for a moment and then looked to you.

"I think your cousin would prefer if you did not get involved with his clients," he said, and you laughed.

"I think my cousin can-"you began.

"Alright, thank you Tahlia," he said with a wave of his hand and marched away, you smiled.


	2. The Disarrangement of Iron

Tony kept to his word and Pepper took you shopping later that day. You were weaving through the displays of clothing in a high-end store and sighed, none of it appealed to you. You glanced over and saw Pepper busy talking to one of the employees about a purse. You slipped through the curtain that separated the store from the back and looked around at the mess. You started shuffling through boxes and pulling out clothes that were marked to be returned to the designers.

"You’re trouble," a voice came startling you and you quickly looked over, Loki leaned against the doorframe leading to the back alley.

"You're a creep," you said, and he smiled, standing.

"Perhaps," he agreed and stood, crossing his arms. "You look in the need of some real entertainment," he suggested, and you raised your eyebrows.

"What are you offering?" you asked, dropping the clothes and he smiled at your eagerness.

"Come with me and I'll show you," he said, reaching out his hand and you eyed him. Tony had preached to you about the dangers of Loki and how he was not a character your mother would be proud of you interacting with, something that intrigued you more. You glanced over your shoulder and smiled, sliding your hand into his. He pulled you out of the back room and into the alley. You stared as his clothing changed from his uniform to street clothes or at least what he considered street clothes.

"You could use a shopping spree," you stated, and he looked down at his black suit, sighing.

"Why does everyone comment on my clothes," he remarked and was changed again. "Is this better?" he asked, and you studied the jeans, the jacket with the t-shirt underneath.

"It's better," you agreed.

"Great, let's go," he urged and took your hand again. What Loki exposed you to that day was the most fun that you had in a long time and you didn't want to go back to Tony's oppressive rule. There were underground scenes that you had never heard of and bloody boxing matches that somehow the both of you took pleasure in. It was late afternoon by the time you returned to the law-abiding world and you were still wanting more. "Where to next?" he asked.

"Let's do something I doubt you've ever done," you said and grabbed his hand. You hailed a taxi and piled him into it, getting in behind him. You gave the taxi driver the address and sat back. "Where do you really come from, Loki?" you asked gazing at him and he suddenly looked nervous, shifting in the tattered leather seat.

"I come from a place called Asgard," he stated, and you nodded.

"I've never heard of it," you murmured.

"No, I didn't think you would, American schools fail to teach about any culture other than theirs," he said, and you nodded.

"I dropped out, I got sick of the teachers telling me what to do," you replied with a shrug and you saw a smile on his face. "They tried teaching me like they taught the rest of the kids, but I got it faster than them," you said. "Made them miserable,"

"I can imagine, teachers don't enjoy pupils who are smarter than them," he said, and you smiled.

"They defiantly did not like me," you agreed. You pulled up to your destination and you paid the driver, pulling Loki from the back of the taxi.

"Where are we," he said sounding almost regretful that he had allowed you to choose.

"Coney Island," you said. "I've never been here before but read about it before," you said and stared at the roller coasters as well as the Ferris wheel with excitement. You looked to Loki and laughed; he did not appear as enthused as you. "Come on, it will be fun," you promised as you pulled him down the boardwalk. You enjoyed watching Loki struggle with being surrounded by throngs of people, eating fried dough, drinking slushies and riding on attractions. "Here, let's stop here, I'll win you a teddy bear," you stated stopping in front of a booth and Loki looked unamused at the display behind the counter of cheap prizes.

"Oh? Are you trained in the art of knife throwing?" he asked, and you looked at him confused, taking the balls the worker handed you.

"Knife throwing?" you questioned and turned to the stand. You threw the balls, managing to hit the right allotment to get you a prize and you picked out an adorable teddy bear, handing it to Loki. He eyed it suspiciously and then looked to you.

"Let me try this," he said, pushing the teddy bear into your arms and you stepped back, amused as he paid the worker. You stared in amazement as he hit every single target with such precision you were sure he had done it before, and he pointed to a rather oversized teddy bear. The worker struggled with it but set it on the counter. "For you, my lady," he announced, looking to you and you stared at it.

"How the hell am I going to get that in a cab?" you asked, and Loki shrugged.

"I'm sure we'll figure it out," he said, and you sighed, giving him back his bear. You grabbed the large bear around the waist and turned around, nearly knocking Loki from his feet. He smiled with enjoyment as you teetered down the boardwalk and he followed, making polite apologies at people you bumped into.

You managed to shove the bear first into a cab and sat squished in the seat beside Loki on the ride back to Stark Towers.

"So, I never did get to ask you, why do you live with Tony?" Loki asked and you shrugged.

"My mom and he are cousins, she got sick of me or at least her boyfriend did, so he agreed to take me," you responded, and Loki's expression quickly changed. "What's wrong with you?" you asked Nd Loki shook his head.

"Nothing, I didn't realize you were related to him," he said.

"Not by much, he's like my second cousin or something," you said, and Loki nodded but fell quiet. The cab pulled up to the towers, Loki got out and you followed, struggling to pull the bear from the seats. At last managing it, you handed it to the doorman and asked him to make sure it got to Tony's apartment. "Well, thanks for the day, it was probably one of the best I've had in a long time," you said looking up at him and he nodded, smiling down at you.

"I'd say the same," he agreed and for a moment you both stood quietly in front of each other. You rested a hand on his shoulder and stood on your tiptoes, kissing him.

"Thanks!" you quipped as you entered the building and left him frozen where he stood.

Tony wasn't home when you got in, but Pepper was. After chastising you for disappearing from her in the store, she inquired on the bear and you told her the truth. Her eyes grew wide, but she smiled, nodding. She told you how kind it was of him to win you the bear and she was glad you enjoyed your day in the end. You sat the bear beside you on the couch and flipped the television on, relaxing.

"What the hell is that," Tony said, stopping mid-stride as he entered the room and you looked at him then the bear.

"It's my bear," you said, and he stared at it.

"Where the hell did you get that thing?" he demanded and you shrugged, looking back at the television.

"A friend," you replied, and he stared at you.

"Okay, and does this friend have a name?" he asked, moving closer to the bear, and studying it as though he suspected it of being something other than what it was.

"He does," you agreed, and he looked to you.

"Oh, so it's a he?" he asked.

"Appears to be," you answered.

"And does he have a name?" he asked.

"He has," you agreed, and he sighed heavily, clearly exasperated with the run-around.

"Can you tell me-" he began but looked up, Pepper was motioning to him from a doorway. You looked to Tony and he stared at Pepper confused for a moment but then shrugged. "Excuse me," he said and walked around the couch, moving into the other room. You could hear Pepper whispering, though you couldn't decipher what she was saying and returned to your show. You looked up as Tony returned into the room with Pepper lingering in the doorway. "Pepper has told me that she wants to have your male friend to dinner, to introduce we to him properly," he said, and you looked behind him to Pepper, who smiled kindly at you. You liked Pepper, she was the normal part of Tony and you knew if she suggested it, she did want to get to know Loki.

"He might be busy," you said, and Tony sighed, clearly irritated that he had to rationalize with you.

"Well, please, ask him," he said, and you sighed, shrugging.

"Fine but I don't even know how to contact him," you said, and Tony stared at you.

"Well, whatever you decide," he said at last and left the room, clearly done with the conversation.

\-----

Pepper was able to find out how to contact him, you weren't sure how, but you gave him a call anyway.

"Hello," his smooth voice said on the other end.

"Hi Loki, it's Tahlia," you introduced.

"Tahlia, how did you get this number?" he asked.

"Pepper," you replied.

"Good old Pepper," he murmured. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Tony wants you to come to dinner, well Pepper does but Tony asked," you corrected.

"Tony?" he repeated.

"Tony, yes," you confirmed.

"Tony won't like it once I'm there, I can assure you," he said, and you sighed.

"Look, I'm just passing on a message, I don't care what you do, I honestly wasn't expecting to see you again," you said.

"No?" he asked.

"No, you didn't seem to want to continue the relationship," you said.

"Oh, well I don't know how you got that from me, but I'm very much interested in continuing this relationship," he assured, and you smiled.

"Well then come to dinner," you pushed, and he sighed.

"Very well," he agreed. "When?" he asked.

"Tonight, at seven," you stated.

"As you wish," he agreed.

"I'll see you then," you said and hung up, a smile on your face.

"You like him, huh?" Pepper asked and you glanced up at her, you hadn’t realized she had been in the room.

"He's a nice guy, he kind of gets me," you explained shrugging your shoulders and she nodded, still staring at you.

"Well, all we have to do is get through Tony," she said and left, you suddenly felt like you weren't being told something.

\-----

You stood before the mirror applying makeup when you heard the elevators ding and you poked your head out of the room, waiting. Tony breezed down the hall past you, eyeing your outfit and then looked to who walked behind Pepper.

"No, no," he said and shook his head. "No, Tahlia, no, there is no way in hell," he refused, and you looked at him confused then back to Loki. He looked quite dashing in his outfit and you didn't understand why Tony already didn't like him.

"Tony," Pepper started.

"No, Pepper, I'm sorry but no," he refused again, and you greeted Loki with a hug before turning back to Tony.

"I don't understand," you said, and Tony laughed.

"You don't understand? Oh, then your boyfriend here hasn't told you how he has killed thousands of innocent people? How he has-" he began but Pepper put her hand over his mouth while you looked up sharply at Loki.

"What?" you asked, and Loki shook his head.

"It’s a long story," he mumbled, and you looked to Tony again who struggling against Pepper.

"Tony, this is a friend of Tahlia's and Tahlia is a guest, never mind family, we should try to be respectful," Pepper encouraged and Tony looked at her surprised by her statement. "So, we're going to sit down around the table and enjoy a cordial meal together," she urged, gently removing her hand.

"Cordial? This man doesn't have a cordial bone in his body," he yelped, and Pepper sighed.

"Tony," she warned, and he shook his head.

"Whatever, what do I know, right?" he asked and walked away, towards the dining room. You looked at Loki again but led him into the dining room. Loki was nothing but polite and respectful of Pepper as well as Tony. He helped serve the meal and when it was done, helped clean up. Pepper did the most talking as Tony would just sit there, staring at Loki and Loki seemed grateful for her attempts.

"I'll help Loki," you said, at last, dying to get out of the tension at the dinner table and gathered dishes, walking in after Loki. You began washing them and Loki focused on drying. The whispers of Tony and Pepper carried through to the room. Tony was livid and Pepper was doing her best to insist on him being civil, that you had it difficult so far.

"I'm sorry I've upset the whole evening," Loki said and you looked at him then smiled.

"You didn't," you promised, and he sighed.

"I knew this was a mistake though," he said as he lowered his eyes and you took a towel, drying your hands. You reached up and stroked his cheek, he gazed at you.

"It isn't, you're the first guy that's treated me with respect," you explained, and he smiled at you.

"I like you, Tahlia," he remarked, holding to your wrist and you smiled.

"And I like what I know about you," you said, and he laughed, leaning down. As your lips pressed against his, you heard Tony and Pepper enter the room. You sighed as you looked over and saw Tony attempting to mock barf in disgust at the scene, Pepper rolled her eyes.

"Loki, Tony and I wanted to thank you for coming over and being so helpful," Pepper said, resting a hand on Tony's chest and you smiled, looking to Loki who smiled at her.

"Of course, thank you for having me," he said, and she nodded. "It’s been a delight getting to know Tahlia more," he said and smiled at you.

"Okay well, I've got things to do," Tony said and left the room, Pepper sighed.

"I'm sorry about Tony, it'll take some time to have him get used to the two of you but I think he will," she said, resting her hand comfortingly on your arm, you smiled at her.

"Thank you, Pepper," you said, and she nodded, leaving the pair of you alone. Finishing the dishes, you walked with Loki to the elevator and he paused before entering.

"I do enjoy getting to know you, Tahlia," he said, and you smiled.

"I hope so, I hope you're not lying to me," you remarked, picking a piece of lint from his shoulder and he shook his head.

"No," he promised, and you smiled, kissing him again. He put a hand on the small of your back and held your lips against his. "I'll call you," he promised, and you nodded, watching as he got into the elevator. He leaned against the wall with a smile on his face as the doors closed. You turned back to the apartment and sighed. Tony stood there with his arms crossed and an expression that told you he was ready to preach.

“You were so rude tonight,” you said walking past him and heard him laugh sarcastically.

“Rude? Do you know who that man is?” he demanded as he followed you.

“Yes! Loki!” you exclaimed. “He treats me with respect!” you shouted.

“Respect? I don’t think he knows what respect truly is!” he yelled back. “And I’m wondering if he’s using you to get to me! I’m just looking out for you Tahlia!” he exclaimed, and you turned on him.

“What the fuck?” you said. “Why must he be using me to get to you? Is it that hard to believe that I might be attractive to someone?! Or do you still see our side of the family as trailer trash?” you asked, crossing your arms and he sighed, rubbing his eyes.

“Tahlia, I don’t think your family is trailer trash,” he started, and you laughed.

“Right, is that why you never came around to any family events? Why I’ve never received even a goddamn birthday card from you!” you shouted, and Tony gazed at you. “We struggled for years! Two meals a day if that! Then I show up here and find you living in the lap of luxury!” you exclaimed, and you shook your head. “Don’t you dare fucking come at me with that fucking lie that you’re just looking out for me!” you shouted, pointing your finger angrily at him before marching to your room and slamming the door shut. Tony sighed and looked to Pepper, who shrugged her shoulders.

“I told you to go to those parties,” she reminded and walked away, he fell into the armchair.


	3. Call It What You Want

It was early morning; Tony and you had fought again and again. He couldn't see it from your point of view, and you couldn't understand how he didn't see it. It had ended with the slamming of doors and you angrily pacing your room. You fell into your bed and stared at the ceiling angrily. You grabbed your cell phone and texted the number Pepper had given you, the number for Loki. You wanted to be anywhere but here, and it didn't matter where that was.

 _"Are you up?"_ was your first question and you were surprised how fast he answered.

 _"I never sleep,"_ he replied, and you smiled, then paused to wonder if that was true. He was a strange guy and you really didn't know much about him.

 _"I need to get out of here, will you come to get me?"_ you asked.

 _"Won't that upset Tony?"_ was his answer and you rolled your eyes.

 _"Fuck him,"_ was your reply.

 _"I'll meet you at the front of your building,"_ he stated, and you grinned, getting up from the bed. You changed into a more comfortable pair of jeans with an old t-shirt and hoodie. You slid on your converse sneakers and crept out of the building. You were sure he had a thousand surveillance cameras and he would see you, but you didn't care, you wanted out now. You slipped through the front door of the building and broke into the cool air, inhaling it happily. Loki stood there patiently waiting and he smiled seeing you. You walked to him and stood on your tiptoes, kissing him.

"Let's go before he sends his minions out here or worse, Happy," you grumbled and took his hand, pulling him down the sidewalk. You spent the night hopping through bars and waffle joints. You ended up on your backs and staring at the night sky that was dimmed by the bright city lights in Central Park. You found yourself telling Loki all about your life back home, how your mom went through boyfriends like someone changes underwear and how your dad had died when you were five, the one person you could ever remember loving you. Loki listened with honest interest and held your hand through the entire conversation. You turned and gazed at him. "What about you? I know very little about you," you said, and he smiled, looking up to the sky.

"My life is not all that interesting," he began, and you laughed.

"I don't believe that for a minute," you disagreed, and he grinned.

"I have a brother named Thor, I was taken from my family who weren't all that good themselves I suppose and my father did his best to raise me the same he raised his biological son," he stated.

"Well that seems nice," you murmured, and he nodded.

"Looking back on it now, I can see that it was," he agreed, and you rested your head on his shoulder, you felt his body tense but soon relax. He continued to tell you his life story and though it didn't seem like he was telling you everything, that pieces were being left out, you listened with rapt attention.

"We seem to both come from broken homes," you said.

"We do," He agreed with an amused tone and sighed.

"Thank you for coming to get me," you said, and he was quiet for a moment then you felt a gentle kiss on the top of your head.

"Of course," he replied, and you smiled, closing your eyes.

You woke up confused, you were in your bed and the covers on you. You didn't remember the trip to Stark Towers or climbing into bed, you were still fully dressed. You got up and stretched, yawning. You grabbed your phone and opened the messages seeing a notification.

 _"You fell asleep, so I brought you home, I hope you don't mind,"_ was his text and you smiled, you didn't mind. You did have questions on how he got you there without disturbing Tony, Friday, or Pepper but that was an irrelevant question. You made your way out to the kitchen, poured yourself a bowl of cereal and padded out to the dining room, sitting down. You ignored Tony at the head of the table with a newspaper in his hands and started eating, scrolling on your phone.

"Where did you run off to tonight?" Tony asked from behind his paper and you shook your head.

"Nowhere you'd like," you replied, and it was quiet. Pepper sat down silently with her cup of tea and looked between the pair of you.

"I'm assuming it was with him," Tony stated and you laughed to yourself, shaking your head.

"Yes, it was with him, that evil human he is," you mocked and Tony lowered his paper to look at you.

"He hasn't told you then?" he asked.

"Tony," Pepper warned and he glanced at her.

"What? Pepper, if she's going to sneak out at night to go somewhere with him, I think she has every right to knowing who he is," he said, dropping the paper to the table and leaned forward.

"Yeah? Do I?" you asked, and Tony shrugged.

"I think it’s perfectly normal to know when your boyfriend is not human," he said leaning back and opened the paper again. "But what do I know," he muttered, and you saw Pepper close her eyes in aggravation.

"Not human? What the hell are you talking about," you demanded but Tony remained silent.

"Maybe this is something you should call him about," Pepper offered, stretching her hand out to you and you looked at her.

"Why does everyone seem to know something about him that I don't?" you asked and Tony laughed behind the paper. "You know what Tony, for being so damn smart, you act like a real fucking asshole," you insulted, taking both phone and cereal bowl back to your room. You called him but it went to voicemail. "I think we need to talk about some things that Tony brought up, give me a call please," you said and sat there angrily eating cereal. You weren't sure what Tony was trying to lead into and why Pepper had stopped him.


	4. I Am Hers, She Is Mine

The next time you saw Loki was two days later and you had the questions rattling around your brain, you wanted to know what Tony had meant. You met Loki in a cafe, and he appeared dressed in what he considered civilian clothing. He slid into the booth across from you and smiled.

"Hello Tahlia," he greeted, and you grabbed his hands.

"Loki, who are you?" you demanded, and his eyebrows raised.

"I don't know what you mean, I've told you who I was," he said.

"No, you told me who you wanted me to think you are," you corrected. "But Tony seems to believe you're not telling me the complete truth," you urged, and Loki sighed. "So, what is it, Loki? Are you lying to me, or is he?" you questioned and he fell back in his seat, looking around the cafe.

"I will tell you but not here," he said, gripping your hands and holding your gaze. Suddenly you were seated in the grass, outside the city and you looked around confused.

"What?" you asked and looked back at Loki.

"Are you sure you want to know who I am?" he asked, and you nodded.

"I know you’re part of Tony's club the Avengers but other than that," you said, and he studied you. "Do you not watch the news?" he asked, and you shrugged.

"Didn't have a television and didn't have a lot of reason to," you answered, and he nodded, pausing in thought for a moment. He sighed and stepped back, glancing over his shoulder.

"If you are sure you want to know," he warned, and you rolled your eyes.

"Dude," you pushed, and he nodded.

"Alright, alright," he agreed and within a millisecond he was transformed into the strangest costume you had ever seen, with a helmet of golden horns. "I am Loki, the god of mischief and son of Odin," he explained, and you stared at him.

"What?" you murmured, clearly caught off guard.

"Which part?" he asked.

"Any of it," you muttered, standing up and walked over to him. He eyed you suspiciously as you reached out and touched the golden horns, then looked down to him. "So... you’re like a superhero?" you asked and he shrugged.

"In a manner of speaking," he replied, and you nodded, running your fingers over his shoulder.

"You aren't scared?" he asked, and your eyes returned to his.

"Scared?" you questioned. "No, why would I be scared? You're clearly still Loki," you answered and shrugged. "You're just more powerful now and I have to admit, that's kind of hot," you remarked.

"Hot?" he repeated, and you laughed.

"Yeah, sexy," you explained.

"Ah," he said with a nod. "Well I am glad you think I am... sexy," he said as though he struggled with the word and you smiled.

"I always thought you were sexy," you said, and he smiled. "But can you get rid of the helmet? It gets in the way," you encouraged.

"In the way?" he asked as the helmet disappeared and you quickly leaned in, kissing him. "In the way," he stated, now understanding.

"So, you're a god?" you repeated, and he nodded. "Does that mean you can't die?" you questioned, and he shrugged.

"I'm sure I can but it's very hard to kill me," he informed.

"Good," you said, and he smiled at you.

"I'm sorry, I'm just a bit confused on why you're so comfortable with all of this," He stated, and you smiled.

"Let's see, a sexy and powerful god is attracted to me, it's the stuff of romance novels," you said, and he raised his eyebrows again, you smiled. "Books that women read to be satisfied sexually and emotionally," she said.

"Oh," he replied, clearly not grasping it still and you smiled. You kissed him again. "What was that for?" he asked as you walked away from him, heading for a tree to get shade from the sun.

"Because I wanted to," you replied, and he followed you. The afternoon was spent by each other's side and you recognized Loki seemed more affectionate now that he had shown you his true self with you completely accept him. "Tony will be upset," you said later in the day and Loki looked at you.

"Will he?" he asked.

"I think he was really banking on me not liking you once I found out who you are," you said.

"Ah, yes, I think so as well," he agreed.

"When he said you killed thousands of people?" you asked, and Loki glanced at you.

"I have, it was inadvertent," he said.

"Oh," you said nodding and staring at the grass for a moment in silence.

"Does that change anything?" he asked, and you leaned back on your palms, staring at the cloudy blue sky.

"Tony has killed way more people than you inadvertently," you said, and Loki smiled.

"You are an extraordinary creature," he remarked, and you smiled at him.

"Thanks?" you said, not sure if it was a compliment or not. He leaned over, cupping your face in his hand, and kissing you tenderly.

"That's a good thing," he assured, and you smiled, he kissed you again. You gently laid back, pulling him with you and continued to kiss him.

====

Tony had called Thor, in hopes of getting his help in diverting Loki from his cousin's daughter but Thor proved no help.

"I do not control my brother, nor do I have any sway over him," Thor said and Tony sighed.

"There's nothing you can do?" he asked, and Thor shook his head.

"No but if it's any comfort, this might work out for all of us," he offered, and Tony looked at him. "How the hell do you figure that?" he demanded.

"I have only seen Loki love one person in his life, outwardly and obviously," he said holding up a finger. "That was our mother and she was a great woman, she gave him sage advice," he said and then shrugged his shoulders. "Often he chose not to take it, but she still had a calming effect over him, your cousin's daughter may have the same," he stated.

"So, you're saying if I allow Tahlia to see Loki then she may stop him from trying to destroy worlds?" he asked.

"First, there is no way you can stop Tahlia from seeing Loki if Loki wishes to see her, don't make that mistake," Thor advised. "And second, yes, that is indeed what I am saying," he replied, and Tony nodded.

"Her mother will kill me," Tony muttered.

"Her mother does not have to know," Thor interjected and Tony gazed at him.

"No, she doesn't, does she?" he asked and left the room with Thor still seated.

=======

You returned home that evening, happy and more into Loki than before. You slipped into the apartment, trying to be as quiet as possible and made it just outside your bedroom.

"Tahlia!" Tony called and you winced. You turned and saw him walking towards you.

"Listen, if you're going to give me any crap-" you began but Tony shook his head.

"No, I'm not, I wanted to apologize for trying to stop you from seeing Loki," he admitted, and you stared at him.

"What," you asked.

"I'm apologizing for trying to stand between you two," he explained

"What the hell changed your mind?" you asked, crossing your arms, and becoming quickly suspicious.

"Nothing, I just realized that I may have stepped over a few boundary lines," he replied, and you nodded.

"Okay, well, thank you?" you asked, and he smiled.

"Ask him around again, I'd like to smooth things out," he said and walked on down the hall. You stood there for a moment completely flummoxed over what had just happened but knowing you weren't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.


	5. Daylight

You saw Loki again the next day, you reached out to invite him over for lunch and he had, after a lot of convincing, agreed. Pepper lent you a sundress, as you had no interest in wearing dresses before and she helped you as well with your hair.

"Tahlia?" she called out, Loki had arrived, and you were still in your room, trying to make yourself satisfied with your make up. At last, you sighed heavily, putting it down and walked out of the room. "There you are," she said giving you an approving smile. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me, lunch should be ready in about fifteen minutes," she said and you nodded, looking at Loki. His eyes were on you, he seemed nervous and you didn't understand why.

"Are you alright?" you asked, and he smiled, nodding.

"I am, you just look...different," he mused, and you shrugged.

"I put a dress on and did my make up," you replied, and you saw his eyes run up and down as though he was extremely hungry.

"You look beautiful," he complimented, and you smiled. You walked beside him and looped your arm in his, pulling him to the kitchen.

"Thank you, you look handsome as well," you replied, and he placed a hand over yours.

"I tried," he stated, and you smiled. Knowing he tried to look good for you made you feel a little light in the head, but you guided him into the kitchen where Pepper was finishing the salad.

"Loki, I hope you enjoy Curried Salmon Cakes," she said, glancing up from the counter.

"It looks delicious," he said, and she smiled.

"Where's Tony?" you asked, and Pepper sighed.

"He's running late at work, but he says he'll be here," she said, sounding unconvinced and you rolled your eyes.

"Figures," you remarked, and she shared an exchange of looks with you, both of you were irritated. "Here, I'll carry the salad in," You said, taking the large crystal bowl from Pepper and bringing it into the dining room. You set it on the table and admired the table settings, Pepper had a knack for presentation. You looked over as Loki carried in the salmon cakes and smiled. "Who knew the god of mischief could be domesticated?" you teased, and he looked at you sharply.

"I find myself doing things I never thought I would do for anyone lately," he said, and you gazed at him, a smile on your face.

"Right now, she's thinking of how much she can get you to do before she hits your limit," Tony's voice cut in and you looked to him as he entered. He wore a dark-coloured suit and had his sunglasses still on. "Loki, thank you for coming back, I want to apologize for before," he apologized, shaking Loki's hand and you could see easily how uncomfortable Loki was.

"It's fine," he assured, and Tony smiled.

"Shall we eat?" he asked, pecking Pepper on the cheek and you all pulled a seat out at the table, sitting. The conversation was fluid and respectful, Tony was excellent at the superficial conversation. With lunch finished, you brought Loki to the living room and sat on the couch beside him.

"Thank you for coming," you said, and he smiled.

"Of course," he replied quietly, and you gazed at his profile. "Is everything all right, Tahlia?" he asked turning to look at you and without a word, you pushed your lips against his. He sat frozen for a moment, caught off guard but quickly deepened the kiss, burying his fingers in your hair. You could feel it behind the kiss, the need and the want that filled him. It was clear to you the moment you had kissed him the first time he didn't have a lot of physical affection and had built walls for years, trying to feel better about it. But every kiss brought one more wall down and he began to reveal how much craved touch.

"Why don't you ever invite me to where you live?" you asked, and he gazed at you.

"I don't leave nearby," he said, and you studied him, you reached out to stroke his cheek. He closed his eyes at your touch, and you heard his breath exhale slowly. "But if you want, I will bring you there," he offered and you smiled, he opened his eyes again. You kissed him once more.

"I would love that," you said, and he leaned in, you met him halfway for another kiss.

"Then I'll bring you," he vowed.


	6. Paper Rings

Loki shelved the idea of bringing you to his home for a few days, he said he wanted to get it ready for you, but you didn't know what that meant. Instead, he invited you to the home he most loved and you agreed, Tony warned you to keep your wits about you. He brought you outside New York City and you stared at the surroundings, trying to figure why you were in a large clearing. You had just got used to the transporting in thin air and weren't sure about any other surprises. He held tight to your hand and you looked at him.

"So..." you murmured, and he waved his hand in the air, a large ship appeared out of thin air. "What?" you breathed, and he smiled at you, he highly enjoyed surprising you.

"Come," he encouraged with your hand still in his and led you towards the open bay.

"Loki," you began but he turned you to face him and you stared into his eyes.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, and you studied his face, Tony's words came back to you.

"I do," You agreed, and he smiled, you took the chance to kiss him. You enjoyed kissing him, every time you did, he would freeze for a half a second, and when you pulled away, it was clear he wanted more.

"Then quiet," he said, with a finger against his lips and you sighed but nodded. He led you onto the ship and you looked around at the surroundings. "Here," he said, directing you to a seat in front of a large window and you sat down, he sat beside you. "Buckle up beautiful, I'm about to show you things you never could imagine," he said, and you looked down, struggling with the seat belts. They went across your chest and snapped on either side. After a minute, you were catapulted through space and time together, you felt sick to your stomach. You closed your eyes in fear. "Open your eyes, Tahlia!" he shouted. "You must never be afraid when you are with me! I will never let you be harmed!" he yelled and after a moment, you pried your eyes open. You stared in wonder at the beauty of colours surrounding the ship and then you came to a slow halt. Stars, millions of them, surrounded you and you were speechless. "Well?" he asked, and you looked at him.

"Loki," you murmured, and he smiled. "This is beautiful," you whispered, leaning forward to peer out the window above you. He watched you with admiration and love as you took it all in. "Why do you ever return to earth?" you murmured and looked to him, his eyes were still on you.

"Before it was my own self-gain, now, it is something a bit more," he told and you felt your neck grow warm, knowing he meant you. He brought your hand to his lips and you couldn't help but smile.

"Can I unbuckle now?" you asked, pulling at the binds and he nodded. You undid the buckle and stood, he gazed up at you as he remained seated. You slid into his lap, straddling him and for a moment his hands hung awkwardly just above your hips. You put them on either side of you and kissed him lovingly. He clung to you as though he was afraid if he let go, he'd lose you, but you weren't going anywhere. You kissed down his jaw and tilted his head to the side to give you access to his neck, you ran your lips over the skin there. You heard a sharp intake of breath as your lips sucked on his earlobe and his fingers curled into your shirt, clinging to it.

"Tahlia," he whispered, and you smiled against his skin, kissing up to his lips again.

"Shh," you murmured and sat back, you brought your shirt up over your head. He stared at you as you sat with only a bra before him and you smiled, enjoying his expression. You took his hands and placed them upon your breasts. "I'm yours, Loki," you vowed, and he shook his head, as though he was snapping himself out of something. He grabbed your shirt from the floor and pulled it back over your head gently.

"Yes, and I am yours, Tahlia," he promised and kissed you before he moved to stand, you quickly slid out of his lap. You sat down, completely confused but the surroundings were far too beautiful to not be distracted by them.

After a few hours exploring the universe with Loki, he returned you home and you left more confused than ever. You had never had a guy give you back your shirt when it came off and you weren't sure what you had done to make Loki do this. You entered the apartment and Tony looked up from his paper.

"You alright, kid?" he asked, noticing your confused expression and you nodded, returning to your room. You shut the door and fell into the bed, staring at the ceiling. You were sure you had read Loki right, you thought it was what he wanted but the moment you made the move, he quickly rejected you. There was a knock on the door, and you murmured for them to enter, Pepper poked her head in.

"Hi, Tony said you looked a little upset," she stated and shut the door after entering.

"Confused," you said, and she sat gently on the side of your bed, a smile on her face.

"Well I assume dating Loki comes with that," she offered, and you smiled, it was true.

"I... well," you began, slightly embarrassed.

"We're both women," she assured, and you sighed, shaking your head.

"I made a move...he completely rejected me," you said, and her eyebrows raised.

"Oh?" she asked, and you nodded.

"Yeah, I mean like, outright just rejected me while telling me he's mine," you said and Pepper sighed, tucking some hair behind her ear.

"Loki is a very...unusual man, Tahlia and I think there's going to be a lot of moments like that but I'm sure he didn't mean it to be cruel," she promised, and you sighed.

"I don't know, it was so weird, and he didn't say anything about it. He just brought me home, kissed me, and was gone," you said, and she nodded empathetically.

"I don't think Loki has had a real relationship with anyone but his family in a very long time and I think you're sending him through loops right now," she explained.

"Yeah, yeah, that has to be it," you agreed and sighed, sitting up.

"Come have some tea, Tony is leaving soon, and we can veg out to some romcoms," she offered, and you smiled, you liked Pepper. Tony didn't deserve her, and you sincerely hoped he knew that.


	7. I've Done Horrible Things

You didn't hear from Loki for three days, you had tried to contact him, but he didn't reply or answer. You had started feeling like you had done something sincerely wrong, but you weren't even sure what it was. You finally pulled yourself out of the apartment finally and went for a bike ride through the city, enjoying the hustle of it. The din of the city helped silence your thoughts and helped you ignore the pain in your heart. Loki was like no other man that you had met, and you now were so panicked you had lost him to your eagerness to please him.

"Tahlia," his voice came, startling you and you swerved to avoid hitting the wall.

"Loki?" you asked, standing up and looking around, holding to the handlebars.

"Stop looking around and talking to yourself, you look insane," he said, and you sat back, confused.

"Wait," you began. "Are you serious?" you asked internally.

"What," he said.

"You can read my frickin' thoughts? How long have you been doing that?" you demanded, getting back on your bike and riding off beside the moving cars.

"That's not important," he began, and you sighed, of course, it wasn't. "I want to see you, where are you?" he asked. "Why are you on a bicycle?" he asked with detest in his voice.

"Some people like exercise," you stated.

"Well find your way to where we went in Central Park," he stated, and you rolled your eyes.

"Why did you reject me?" you asked.

"We can talk about that when you get here," he offered and you sighed, changing your direction towards the park.

"Fine," you said, and he was gone, you felt him go. You biked through the streets and entered Central Park, finding your way to the secluded area he had taken you. He sat on the bench, staring into the distance and looked over as you rode up, he quickly stood. "So?" you asked, not getting off and looking expectantly at him.

"Yes," he began and looked down at the ground, looking ashamed. "I'm nearly a thousand years old and a god of mischief, not many people have tried to get close to me," he continued, clasping his hands before him. "You've managed to make me very uncomfortable over the past weeks, I've never been around anyone that's made me nervous before and I've been trying to keep my head above water," he said.

"So, I scare you?" you questioned.

"No, well yes but in all the good ways," he tried, and you sighed, getting off the bike. You put the kickstand down and walked over to him, he looked at you with the normal expression of worry on his face.

"Why do you always look so worried when you look at me?" you asked, reaching up and placing a hand on the side of his face.

"Because I am worried," he replied and you laughed, shaking your head.

"Worried about what?" you demanded, and he wrapped a hand around your wrist, pressing your hand against his cheek.

"That I will hurt you, that I'll do something that will make you look at me like everyone else looks at me," he said, and you smiled.

"Loki," you murmured and stood on your toes, kissing him. "You worry for nothing then," you promised, and he gazed at you.

"But I have done horrible things," he warned, and you shrugged.

"We have all done awful things," you said and ran your fingers through his black hair, his eyes remained on you.

"Tahlia," he began but you shook your head.

"Loki, I like you and you're not getting rid of me that quickly," you said simply, and he smiled. For the first time, he pulled you into a kiss and you enjoyed every single moment of it. "Is that why you gave me back my shirt?" you asked when the kiss broke and Loki sighed.

"No," he said.

"Then why? Did I read you wrong?" you asked, and Loki smiled.

"I think you read me better than most and even better than I know myself," he replied. "As I said, I haven't had physical contact in a very, very long time," he said, and you sighed.

"I understand," you replied, and he gazed at you.

"Are you sure?" he asked, and you nodded. "I'm sorry," he offered, and you laughed.

"Don't apologize, I'll wait," you vowed, and he smiled at you, leaning down to press his lips to yours. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and enjoyed his touch. You might have to wait an exceptionally long time but somehow, you knew it would be worth everything


	8. Cuddling

Loki was called to Tony's apartment the next day along with the other Avengers and he was there before the others. Unfortunately, you were out with Pepper, and instead, he had to wait awkwardly with Tony. You entered the apartment with several bags hanging off your arms and dropped them in the kitchen, looking back to see Pepper coming in with the same.

"Tahlia," Loki's voice came from behind you and you turned, smiling seeing him in the doorway.

"Loki!" you exclaimed happily and rushed to kiss him; he warmly returned the kiss. "I didn't know you'd be here," You said, and he nodded.

"I've started to see the other side," he said, and you laughed, shaking your head.

"You're crazy," you stated and started putting the groceries away in the fridge. Loki leaned against the doorway with a smile on his face and you stood up, looking at him. "What?" you asked, smiling and putting your hands on your hips. He shrugged with a smile and moved into the room.

"You're very beautiful," he replied, and you rolled your eyes.

"Am I? How pretty?" you asked, and he smiled, leaning against the counter.

"I've seen nearly every planet in the 9 realms, and you are more beautiful than any of them," he vowed and you both looked in the doorway as Tony pretended to puke.

"Oh, shut up," you said and returned to putting away groceries.

"The others are here if you can tear yourself away from your girlfriend," Tony said and Loki's jaw flexed with irritation but nodded. Tony left and you moved over to Loki, standing on your tiptoes to kiss him.

"Don't leave before saying goodbye to me," you warned, and he nodded.

"Of course," he agreed and walked out of the room; you couldn't help the smile on your face.

\-----

"Brother! I am surprised you came!" Thor shouted seeing Loki enter the meeting room and Loki nodded.

"Yes well, I've had a slight change of heart," he said, and Thor nodded, eyeing him suspiciously.

They all sat at the table and Tony entered with Steve.

"Wait, what is he doing here?" he asked, pointing to Loki and Tony sighed, stopping.

"Do you want to tell them or should I?" he asked Loki and Loki quickly lowered his eyes. "I'm sure you've all met my cousin's daughter that has been staying here, Tahlia," he said, and they nodded. "Well, either to completely spite me or because she honestly likes him, she has begun dating Rock of Ages here," he said, and eyes directed to Loki who sat there uncomfortably.

"Wait, wait, wait," Thor said. "Someone is actually willingly dating you?" he asked. "Or are you using some mystical, magical powers?" he asked, and Tony looked at Loki.

"Are you?" he asked, and Loki looked offended.

"No, we genuinely get on very well," he said. "And I think you should thank her, she's a big part of the reason I am sitting here today wanting to help you instead of whomever you're fighting," he said and they looked around the table at each other, still relatively confused.

"Wait, she KNOWS she's dating you?" Thor clarified and Loki rolled his eyes.

\-------

You were seated on the couch, painting your toenails and watching Bridget Jones' Diary when Loki came in.

"What are you _watching_ ," he muttered, looking at the screen and you glanced up, then smiled as you put the brush back in the bottle.

"Bridget Jones' Diary, you haven't seen it?" you asked standing and going over to him, kissing him.

"No, I can't say I've had the pleasure," he replied, and you gasped.

"Oh you have to, this saved me from many nights of absolute boredom in the podunk country life, it was the only VHS I owned," you said as you pulled him down to the couch with you. "I stole it of course but that doesn't matter,” you dismissed, and he flashed a quick smile at you.

"While I enjoy spending time with you, I can't say I have any interest in this soppy romance," he said, and you looked at him.

"Loki," you began. "What else would you do? It's pouring rain out and I really don't have any desire to-" you began but before you could finish, you were standing in a sunny field with a sea of red poppies. "Will you stop doing that!" you exclaimed, and he looked at you, confused.

"You said you did not enjoy the rain," he said, and you sighed, running a hand through your long brunette hair.

"Yes, I said that but that doesn't mean I want you to randomly whisk me off to some random place!" you stated and looked around. "Where are we anyway?" you asked.

"I believe Turkey," he said, and you stared at him.

"Turkey? Are you serious?" you demanded, and he nodded. "Loki, you can't just tear people out of where they are and put them somewhere else!" you chided, and he gazed at you.

"I'm sorry," he said and had you back in the apartment in your room.

"Stop doing that!" you yelled, and he sighed.

"I don't know what you want, Tahlia," he said, clasping his hands in front of him and you shook your head.

"I wanted you to sit there and watch some stupid, sappy romance with me," you said, and he sighed.

"I don't do romance very well, Tahlia, I am not sure what you require of me for romance," he said, and you turned to look at him.

"Flowers! Chocolate! Cuddling!" you stated, and his expression looked even more confused.

"Cuddling?" he asked, and you sighed, rolling your eyes. You grabbed his hand and brought him to your bed, he eyed it with fear.

"You're a thousand-year-old god and you haven't heard of cuddling?" you asked, getting on the bed and you leaned over, dragging him onto the bed with you. "Just lay down," you ordered, and he sighed, putting his feet on the bed. He looked at you as you settled yourself on his chest and then took his arm from behind his head, wrapping it around you. "This is cuddling," you said, and he laid rigidly. "Just relax," you whispered and pushed your fingers beneath the hem of his shirt, gently tickling his stomach.

"I really don't-" he began but you moved, kissing him.

"Don't try to think this one through, just let your body take over," you urged, continuing to tickle his stomach and then up to his chest. After a short time, you heard him snoring and you looked up, you smiled to yourself. He was asleep, peaceful looking and with a small smile on his lips. You laid your head back down, continuing to tickle his skin and closed your eyes, listening to his heartbeat.


	9. The Lullaby

You had let him sleep, you figured he needed it, and, in the morning, you smiled as you woke up to him still in your bed, fully clothed. You slipped out of bed and went to shower in the bathroom, returning you saw him walking.

"What happened?" he asked, blinking his eyes and you smiled.

"You slept," you stated, and he stared at you.

"For how long?" he asked, looking around the bright room and you shrugged, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"All night," you answered. "So about 18 hours," you summed, and he stared at you then sat up, you watched him trying to grasp what was happening. "Are you okay?" you asked as you dried your hair and he shook his head.

"I never sleep," he replied, and you smiled.

"Cuddling will get you every time," you said, and he glanced over his shoulder at you. There was a new piece of him you saw, a vulnerability that hadn't been there before and he quickly looked away.

"Yes, well, I should be off," he said and stood up, leaving the room. You stared at the empty spot where he just left and shook your head, he was too complicated.

\-----

Loki entered the Livingroom on his way to the elevator and Tony was there with his coffee as well as newspaper. He looked up and stared at him for a moment.

"Where did you come from?" he asked, and Loki glanced at him.

"Apparently I fell asleep," he said, and Tony smiled.

"Happens to me too sometimes, comes with age, man," he replied, and Loki stared at him confused.

"Falling asleep? Do you not sleep either?" he asked, and Tony looked up again.

"What? No? I meant in the bedroom, during..." he trailed, trying to find a word Loki would understand and suddenly Loki's eyebrows raised.

"Oh no, no, I did not fall asleep during that," he argued.

"So, you just fell asleep then? What's wrong with that?" he asked with a shrug and sipped his coffee.

"I never sleep," he said, and Tony smiled.

"Well, you're among mortals now, bound to happen," he muttered, and Loki sighed, gripping the back of the couch tightly.

"Not to me," he seethed, and Tony smirked.

"Apparently it does, Elder Scrolls," he mocked.

"No, you don't understand, I don't sleep, I can't sleep, I have never been able to sleep," he said and shook his head, staring out the window. "Then Tahlia made me..." he began then stopped; the word caught in his throat.

"I'm confused, old man, if you're not talking about sex, what are we talking about here?" Tony demanded and Loki sighed.

"She calls it cuddling," he growled, and Tony laughed.

"Cuddling, Loki, God of Mischief was cuddling," he teased, and Loki stared at him as though there were at least 1303 ways he wanted to kill him at that moment.

"I swear to the gods," he began, and Tony put up his hand.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he apologized. "So, you were cuddling and fell asleep, what's wrong with that?" he asked, and Loki clenched his jaw.

"She has this strange power over me, and I don't like it," he spat out and Tony nodded.

"She's your lullaby," he said frankly, and Loki's eyebrows raised again.

"My lullaby?" he questioned, and Tony sighed, folding the paper on his lap.

"When Banner becomes the Big Green Guy, Romanoff is the only way who can get him to go back to Banner again, we call it his lullaby," he explained, and Loki shook his head.

"I am not a baby," he returned, and Tony smiled.

"No, no one is saying you are but it’s the same theory, she's the calm to your chaos," he stated, opening his paper again and leant back in his seat. "I may come to regret these words, but I think she's good for you," he said, and Loki studied him silently. After a moment he walked out of the room and pressed the button for the elevator, clasping his arms behind his back.

"Loki!" you exclaimed, coming into the hall and he cringed but looked to you. His eyes ran down your form, now wearing a cut off shirt and jean shorts. "Were you leaving without saying goodbye to me?" you asked, and he gave you a tight smile.

"I have things I need to see to," he said, and you leaned against him, pressing your lips to his. You felt it again, that want and need that he wouldn't let himself fill.

"Well you still could have said bye," you pouted, and he sighed.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, and you smiled, brightening at the apology.

"When will I see you again?" you asked and the doors opened, Loki backed into the elevator.

"Soon," he replied, and the doors slid shut, you sighed. You wandered into the Livingroom and fell into the couch, pulling out the remote.

"He's scared of you, you know that right, kid?" Tony asked.

"Who?" you asked, and Tony smiled.

"Loki, you scare him," he said, and you sighed.

"I don't know why, I only want to be with him," you replied.

"And that's what scares him, he's never had anyone that only wanted him, nothing else," he explained, and you studied him.

"I don't what to do though, I feel like the more I love him, the more I push him away," you said, and Tony sighed.

"Yeah well, that's Loki, I tried to tell you, but you just didn't want to listen," he said standing with his paper and coffee mug in hand. He looked at you and sighed seeing how upset you were. "Look, maybe just back off a little," he offered.

"Back off? It's hard enough already," you argued, and he nodded.

"I know but I think if you give him some space, you might be better off," he said and shrugged. "But what do I know? I'm just an egotistical genius, Pepper's better at these things," he stated and left the room. You weren't sure how backed off from Loki you could be, you already had to struggle to get him to kiss you back and any affections shared between you were of your doing.


	10. The Mission

The Avengers were going on a mission, Loki would go with them due to the fact he knew a little about the enemy and as you sat with Pepper the evening before, drinking your tea, you mulled over

it.

"How do you do it?" you asked her, and she looked up from her magazine.

"Do?" she asked, and you sighed.

"How do you let Tony go on these missions without knowing if he'll come back?" you questioned, and she laughed.

"First, I don't let Tony do anything, he never listens to me," she explained, and you smiled. "And I know what he's doing is for the greater good, that he's protecting people and he is the only one that can do what he does," she said with a shrug. "Are you nervous about Loki?" she asked.

"A little," you admitted, and she smiled.

"Well, the guy is a thousand years old, he's survived this far, I think he will be fine," she promised and you smiled but looked back at your tea, you wished you had her confidence.

\-----

You gazed at Loki from the room above the hangar, he was fully dressed in his armour and was conversing with Thor, Banner wandered over. You wanted to go down and say goodbye, but you were taking Tony's advice.

"Hey kid," a voice came, and you looked over as Tony came in, ready for the mission as well. "I told Pepper to take you shopping and keep you busy, it'll help take your mind off things," he said, clamping a hand on your shoulder and you nodded. "I'll do my best to keep him safe," he said, and you smiled. "Wow, never thought I'd be saying that about Loki," he said shaking his head and a smile on his face.

"Thank you, Tony," you said. "My mom was wrong about you," you murmured looking up at him and he gazed at you then smiled, kissing your forehead.

"I know she was," he agreed and patted your back before heading down the stairs. You looked back to the hangar and saw Loki staring up at you, he held your gaze for a moment before Thor directed him to the Quinjet.

"Goodbye Tahlia," his voice came in your head.

"You remembered," you replied.

"I know better than to not say goodbye to you," he answered, and you smiled. "When I come back, I'll take you to my home," he promised.

"You better come back then, I don't like broken promises," you warned.

"I will," he vowed, and you smiled. You watched as everyone boarded the Quinjet and sighed, turning away. You would have to do your best to ignore the news, which would most likely have their activities splashed across the screens and find something to do. You flopped on your bed and looked at your bedside, eyeing the stack of books Loki had implored you to read. You picked one up with a heavy sigh and opened it on your lap, beginning the story


	11. Fractured Light

You had finished the entire Pride & Prejudice novel before Pepper knocked on your door and you murmured an invitation to enter. She opened the door and smiled.

"What are you reading?" she asked, and you showed her the cover. "Oh, I love that story," she remarked, and you nodded.

"I'm impressed, I don't know why I never read it before, Loki suggested it," you said, and she laughed.

"Loki's read Pride & Prejudice?" she asked, and you nodded.

"Apparently, I think he'll surprise you," you mused, and she nodded.

"You're probably right," she agreed. "I just got a notification that the Quinjet is headed back," she said, and you quickly looked up.

"Already? Is that a good thing?" you asked, and she shrugged.

"I never know," she replied, and you sighed, rolling on your back. "Did you want to wait with me in the hangar?" she asked, and you shook your head.

"Tony told me to give Loki space, I'm going to try," you explained, and she nodded.

"Alright, well you know where to find me," she replied and left your room, you continued the last few pages of the book. The book dropped on your chest as your eyes closed and you fell asleep. You woke up to someone speaking your name and you rolled on your back, blinking sleep from your eyes. You sat up gazing at Loki by the door and rubbed your eyes.

"Loki?" you murmured.

"Hi Tahlia," he said softly, and you stood, walking over to him. You reached out to touch his face, but your hand went through him. "I'm sorry but this is just a hologram," he announced, looking upset he couldn't feel your touch.

"Why?" you asked, and he sighed.

"I had to stay behind," he explained, and you shook your head, confused.

"Where?" you asked.

"In Asgard," he explained. "It wasn't part of the plan, but it happened," he said with a shrug of his shoulder.

"Are you coming back?" you asked, and he smiled.

"I will, in time," he promised.

"You told me you would be back and would take me to your home," you reminded, and he nodded.

"And I will, just not yet," he said, and you sat back on your bed. "I'm sorry, pet," he murmured, and you looked up at him.

"How many times will you be breaking promises to me?" you asked.

"I do not wish to break promises to you, Tahlia, this was unavoidable," he said, and you nodded.

"Yeah, well there seems to be a lot of unavoidable things between us," you remarked, and he gazed at you, concerned.

"Tahlia, is there something you want to tell me?" he questioned, and you shrugged.

"No," you uttered and then looked back at him. "Are you injured?" you asked, and he shook his head. "Are you safe?" you asked, and he nodded. "Then that's all that matters to me," you stated, and he smiled, a soft sad smile.

"I will fetch you when I can," he guaranteed and you smiled, nodding with tears perking the corners of your eyes.

"Yeah, well I'm sure I'll be waiting," you declared, and he smiled. "If I had known how much waiting around it took to be with you," you began and he looked at you, anticipating your next words. "I probably still would have been with you," you said, and he smiled.

"Take care of yourself, Tahlia," he beseeched, and you nodded.

"I've got on brains of the Avengers living with me, how could I not?" you queried, and he nodded. "Hurry back so I can kiss you," you said, and you saw that vulnerability reappear, but he was gone before it showed for exceptionally long. You groaned and fell back in your bed, staring at the ceiling.


	12. Chapter 12

You found Thor seated on the balcony of Stark Towers and you joined him with your lemonade, he smiled at you.

“So you are the one that has broken Loki’s record,” he said and you raised your eyebrows in confusion. “He has been alive for a thousand years and has only had one woman he loved, our mother,” he explained. “Now there are two,” He said and you smiled.

“Well, I wouldn’t say love but we both like each other,” you replied.

“No, I would say, love,” he replied, looking out on the city. “I have seen the way he looks at you and it is love, it is the same I felt for Jane,” he stated.

“Who’s Jane?” you asked and a smile filled his face.

“Jane is the most beautiful and the smartest woman in the world,” he said and then looked at you sharply. “Excluding you of course,” he corrected and you laughed.

“I never claimed to be smart,” you murmured. “Why did Loki stay behind?” you asked.

“He told you he stayed behind?” he asked and you nodded. “My brother is always full of tricks,” he muttered. “No, Loki was put into the dungeons of Asgard because he betrayed us,” he said.

“Betrayed?” you questioned.

“Yes, he made us believe he was on our side but when it came to the battle, he quickly chose the other side,” he said.

“But he must have had a reason,” you argued and Thor smiled.

“I always wish for that as well, he is my brother and I love him but I think he knew what he was doing,” he said and you looked to the tall buildings surrounding you. “I am sure it had nothing to do with you,” he assured and then paused. “Or maybe it did, I do not know the way his mind thinks,” he said with a shrug.

“So when he said he will return to me soon,” you murmured and Thor smiled.

“I do not doubt he will, Loki has his ways of getting out of trouble, always has,” he replied and you sighed. “I hope I did not upset you,” he said as you stood and you shrugged.

“I just thought he was a different person,” you answered and returned to the apartment, closing your bedroom door. You laid. back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Knowing that Loki had lied to you was hurtful but you had hope that he lied to you for a reason, that there was a reason he did what he did.


	13. Psychopathic Lightining

You couldn't come up with a reason. You weren't sure what reason Loki would have to betray his brother and the Avengers, after committing to them. You sighed and rolled on your side in your bed, tucking your hands beneath your head. Just a few days ago, Loki was here in this bed with you and experiencing cuddling for the first time, now he was locked away in some Asgard prison. You pulled yourself out of bed, throwing your robe and slippers on as you shuffled down to the kitchen.

Tony sat at the counter with a paper and his cereal, he glanced up as you entered.

"Morning," he said, and you nodded as you yawned. You dug in the fridge to pull out orange juice and got a cup.

"Tony," you began and looked up to see if he was paying attention to you.

"Yes?" He asked and you sighed, putting the jug down on the counter.

"What did Loki do to betray you?" you asked, and he sighed, putting his spoon down.

"Thor didn't tell you?" he asked, and you shook your heads, replacing the cap on the orange juice. "Well, I guess I'll just do everyone's job," he muttered and picked up his spoon again. "He gave the Infinity Gauntlet to Thanos," he said, and you stared him.

"So... he gave a glove to someone?" you questioned, and Tony smiled.

"Wish it was that simple," he replied. "No, the infinity gauntlet has the ability to do a lot of damage to the universe as we know it and Thanos is just the guy to do it," he said and you nodded, slowly.

"So... why?" you asked, and Tony shrugged.

"Beats me but that goes for a lot of the things Loki does," he said, and you put the juice back.

"Okay," you said, and closed the fridge door. "I don't get it, so that means he's in prison for how long?" you asked.

"No idea, not my problem, I gotta go," he said and put his bowl in the sink, leaving you standing there.

The others returned to the tower later to speak to Tony and Nick Fury, who you had briefly met. You waited patiently outside the meeting room as you played on your phone and looked up as the glass doors opened.

"Thor!" You exclaimed and the large Asgardian prince looked back over his shoulder.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Tony told me why Loki was put in prison," you began, and he looked to Tony still in the conference room. "How long is he in there?" you asked, and Thor smiled.

"Longer than your mortal life allows," he said.

"How long is that?" you asked, and Thor shrugged.

"Six hundred years or so," he mused, and your eyebrows raised.

"Are you serious? What kind of asshole are you?" you demanded, and Thor's smile fell.

"What?" he asked dryly.

"Six hundred years! That's ridiculous!" you exclaimed; Tony glanced over in your direction hearing your voice. "What kind of sociopath give someone a prison sentence of six hundred fucking years!" you yelled.

"Tahlia, Tahlia," Tony said, poking his head out and motioning for you to come over to him. You sighed and walked towards him. "I don't know if you've noticed but all of these people are abnormally powerful," he started. "You cussing out the god of Thunder is not going to end well, okay?" he asked.

"But he told me Loki is in prison for 600 years!" you shouted, and Tony sighed, closing his eyes.

"I know he did but yelling at him will not change his mind," he warned. "In fact, it will do the exact opposite of what you want to happen," he stated, and you crossed your arms. "What is this? What are you doing?" he asked motioning to your arms and you shrugged.

"I'm pouting. You don't want me to yell at your precious god of lighting," you began.

"Thunder," Thor said from behind and Tony shook his head to dissuade him from continuing.

"But you're not going to help me get Loki out either, I'm guessing," you said, and Tony sighed.

"Tahlia, he gave the Infinity Gauntlet to a psychopath who wants to eradicate 50% of the known universal population," he said. "Do you not get that? 50% of the universe, gone, like that," he said and snapped his fingers. "So, forgive me if I tend to take the side of Thor," he apologized, and you rolled your eyes.

"You're all psychopaths," you muttered and left to your bedroom, Tony winced as he heard the door slam.

"I'm going to be paying for that for days," he remarked and shook his head, returning to the conference room.


	14. Raging Hormones

You were in your room, slightly sulking and trying to come to terms with the fact that you may never again see Loki when a knock sounded on the door. You looked up and after a minute called for them to enter. The door opened and Thor's blonde head stuck its way in, you stared at him.

"May I enter?" he asked.

"Free world," you replied, looking back at your magazine. "For some," you muttered, and Thor heaved a sighed, standing with his hands clasped in front of him.

"I realize it may be difficult for you to understand justice in my world," he began.

"Six hundred years is justice?" you baulked, and his jaw flexed in frustration. He had clearly been spoken to by Tony and quite possibly begged to approach you, try to make peace.

"Again, it is different here," he reiterated. "But I'm willing to bend the rules slightly," he remarked, and you studied him.

"What does that mean?" you questioned, and he sighed again, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

"I will take you to see Loki," he offered, and you sat up a little straighter.

"Why?" you asked.

"Because I was told that if I did not try to make these amends, that there would be a great amount of technology put into finding ways to make me feel pain like I have never felt before," he said and you smiled, Tony.

"Fine, take me to him," you said standing, and Thor gazed at you.

"We will have to get uncomfortably close," he said, and you stared at him.

"What does that mean?" you asked, and he closed the distance between you, wrapping an arm around your waist. "Whoa boy," you said, and he smiled at you. You were transported through the most colourful array of lights you had ever seen and landed gently, Thor's arm still around your waist. "Thank you," you said, pushing against his armoured chest and he smiled, nodding as he stepped back.

"Come," he instructed, and you followed him down a long bridge surrounded by water and into a bustling city. You admired the architecture as you followed close behind him and he brought you into the large palace.

Before you knew it, you were stood in front of a glass prison and Loki quickly rose to his feet, staring at you.

"Tahlia?" he asked and then looked to Thor. "Brother, this is most gracious of you, so gracious I suspect it was not of your doing," he said, and Thor smiled.

"You would be right," he agreed and looked to you. "I will give you ten minutes, no more," he warned, and you nodded, Thor stepped away. You looked back to Loki and he placed his hand on the glass, you stepped closer.

"Why?" you asked, and he sighed.

"I have reasons," he promised, and you shook your head.

"All you had to do was return to me, Loki but you just couldn't handle that," you stated.

"Tahlia," he began but you shook your head.

"No, no Loki, I'm not going to hear it," you said, and he baulked.

"Then, may I ask, why you have come all this way?" he asked, and you rolled your eyes, crossing your arms.

"Don't get sassy with me, the god of jokes," you mocked.

"God of mischief," he corrected, and you shrugged.

"God of assholes, in my opinion," you replied, and he crinkled his brow at you.

"That's a bit harsh," he muttered, and you laughed.

"You leave me with a telepathic goodbye, promising to come back and bring me to your home," you began. "But then what do you do?" you shouted. "You fucking get locked up in a goddamn prison for 900 years!" you shouted.

"600," Loki interjected.

"Does it really matter?" you commanded, and Loki shut his mouth, shaking his head.

"No, I suppose it doesn't," he agreed.

"So, what, what reason did you have to give this Infinity mitten to Thanos," you spat out and Loki smiled. "Oh, don't you dare mock me right now, Loki!" you warned, and he sighed.

"I traded the Infinity Gauntlet to Thanos for the throne of Asgard," he stated, and you raised your eyebrows.

"The throne of Asgard?" you questioned, and he nodded. "So, you were willing to trade me for a throne?" you asked.

"It was never a trade, Tahlia, you were going to sit beside me, Queen of Asgard," he promised, and you snorted.

"Did you even ask if I wanted to be Queen of Asgard?" you questioned.

"Well, no," he said, confused.

"Seriously, Loki, I know you've done it on your own for a thousand years but that's all done, you've got me now and you really should stop thinking about just yourself!" you exclaimed.

"Tahlia, I was thinking of you!" he promised, and you shook your head.

"You know what, forget it. I travelled so far to just see you but now that I have, I wish I didn't!" you shouted. "Fuck you and fuck your psychotic ways!" you shouted and marched down the hall, past Thor.

"If it makes you feel any better, brother, she tends to call everyone a psychopath," Thor offered and Loki rolled his eyes. "Well, goodbye brother, it was nice to see you again," he dismissed and walked away from Loki, Loki slammed his fist into the glass screaming in rage. Thor returned you to the apartment and you disappeared into your room, still extremely angry.


	15. Holographic Apologies

You were seated on your bed, reading a book when he appeared before you.

"Tahlia," he began, and you threw your book through him, he sighed. "Tahlia, please," he pleaded.

"Nope," you stated, walking through him to your bathroom and slammed the door shut.

"I don't think you appreciate what I had to do to appear here!" he exclaimed, and you tore the door open.

"I don't think you appreciate how little I care," you snapped back and slammed the door shut, sitting on the closed lid of your toilet.

"Tahlia, I always intended on returning to you," he said, and you shook your head to yourself.

"Things just got out of hand," he murmured.

"600 years in a dungeon is not just out of hand, Loki!" you shouted, and you heard him sigh again.

"Tahlia, I am not asking for you to wait for me, but I am asking for your forgiveness," he said, and you stared at the door. You got up and opened it.

"Do you think I don't love you, Loki?" you demanded, and he shook his head.

"I don't think that at all," he said.

"Then why do you think I'm going to be able to move on?" you questioned, leaning against the doorframe and crossed your arms.

"I just assumed," he said, and you rolled your eyes.

"You're lucky you're not standing in front of me or I'd slap you as hard as I could," you warned. "All you had to do is come back, Loki, I didn't want a throne, I didn't want a crown or a country, I wanted you," you said and he stared at you speechless.

"I can never make amends for my actions," he said.

"No, you're absolutely right, you can't," you said, and he sighed again.

"Then I will go," he said and flickered, then gone.

\------

It went a full month with no more visits from Loki and though it was still painful, you did your best to move on. He was in prison, you weren't going to travel through space and time to visit him every week, he made this decision. Thor returned to Asgard for his sentencing and offered to take you, you declined. Instead, you invested yourself in being Tony's secretary, taking some of the load from Pepper's shoulder, and receiving an open welcome to stay if you wanted. You agreed to another week and then you would return home, you had no reason to stay any longer.

Finishing your work with Tony and making sure everyone knew what you had been working on, you boarded a jet to the middle of nowhere. Your life attempted to go back to normal, but you had been in love with a god, there was no longer a normal.


	16. Mr. Laufey

You had got a job as a secretary at a small lawyer's office, the only lawyer in the area, and were content for the time being. It afforded you the ability to move out of your mom's house and get away from her along with her barrage of ever-changing boyfriends. You rented a farmhouse outside of town, being there were no large attractions nearby, rent was relatively low, and you enjoyed the quiet nights that the only sound was the hoot of an owl or a call of the bullfrogs.

You were seated in your chair behind the oak desk that was older than you and working on filing paperwork for your boss when the door opened, sounding the chime. You glanced up and saw a face you did not recognize; it was unusual to have people pass through the town.

"Good morning, how can I help you?" you asked closing the file and standing. The man stood there for a moment, he wore jeans and a tattered hoodie, over it a jacket. He had dark blonde hair that was curly on top but there was something you sensed, a familiarity you couldn't place.

"I'm here to see Mr Jensen," he said in a Southern drawl, referring to your boss.

"Oh, take a seat please, do you have an appointment Mr..." you trailed, looking at the datebook.

"Laufey," he offered, and you glanced up at him, strange name. "And I don't," he stated.

"Alright well lucky for you, he has an opening in fifteen minutes if you'd like to wait?" you asked and he nodded, you smiled. You went to the file cabinet and put the file in.

"Have you worked here long?" he asked, and you turned, gazing at him.

"Just a few months," you replied, shutting the cabinet and he nodded. "You're a new face in town and we don't get many of those," you said returning to your desk.

"Yeah, I just moved in here about a week ago," he admitted, and you nodded, sitting down.

"Where'd you work before?" he asked, and you studied him again.

"There's something about you that just seems so familiar to me," you murmured, leaning into your desk. "Are you sure we haven't met before?" you asked, and he smiled.

"No, no, I'm quite sure," he replied, and you nodded, still unsure.

"I worked in New York for my mom's cousin," you said.

"Why'd you move back to a little town like this?" he asked, and you shrugged.

"Sometimes, a small town is much less drama-filled," you said.

"Ah," he replied, and you smiled then went to the datebook to write his name down. Your boss finished with his client, you introduced the man to him, and they disappeared into his office. Noticing it was lunchtime, you closed the datebook and turned the sign to closed, leaving. You had enough time to go to the small cafe in town, grab a bite to eat, and take it to the park where you liked to sit, enjoy nature. You chose a chicken salad sandwich with potato chips and walked to the park, sitting down before the man-made pond that the ducks circled in.

"Hello," a voice came, and you glanced up, Mr Laufey stood over you.

"Oh hello," you replied, a bit weirded out that he was there, but it was a small town, the park was the only entertainment really.

"Sorry, I didn't realize you were eating," he apologized, and you shook your head.

"It's fine," you replied and took a sip from your lemonade. "Where did you move from?" you asked as he sat beside you.

"Well, if I'm going, to be honest, I just got out of prison," he said, and you gazed at him.

"What were you in there for?" you questioned. "If you don't mind me asking," you said and he smiled, shaking his head.

"Not at all, I stole something very valuable," he replied, and you nodded, chewing your sandwich.

"Did your family move here with you?" you asked and felt his eyes on you.

"The family I have lived far away," he replied, and you glanced at him. "And I think they've washed their hands of me," he replied.

"Your wife?" you asked, and he shrugged, gazing at the sunlit water.

"I didn't have a wife," he murmured. "I did love a woman who was the only one that knew me better than myself, but I betrayed her, crossed lines she couldn't forgive me for," he said quietly, and you stared at him. He looked at you and you knew it in a second when your eyes met.

"Loki?" you murmured, and he stared at you quietly. He sighed and shook his head.

"I should have known better," he answered, and Mr Laufey disappeared, Loki sat beside you. "I should have known better than to try to hide from you," he laughed.

"What are you doing here?" you asked and poked his arm.

"I am here," he assured. "I'm free," he said, and you shook your head.

"You were in prison for 600 years," you replied, and he nodded.

"Yes, but the gauntlet I gave to Thanos was fake," he said. "A fact that my brother overlooked and when it was made known, he couldn't hold me for it," he stated.

"Did you know that?" you questioned, and he smiled. "Did you know it was a fake when you gave it to him?"

"I knew Thanos wished to destroy half the universe, that there was no way to know which half and now that you were part of my universe, I couldn't let that happen," he said. "And so, I hoped I could stall Thanos and gave him the fake gauntlet my father unknowingly stored in his vault," he said.

"But won't he be angry with you?" you asked. "Thanos?" you clarified, and he smiled.

"I suppose he will, but I am quite used to being the object of other's anger," he said and gazed at you. "Are you still mad at me?" he asked.

"I don't know, seeing you here, it's shocking," you replied, and he smiled. You leaned forward and kissed him, you felt him meld into you quickly. You pulled away and he stared at you, you quickly slapped him hard across the face. "You earned that," you warned, and he gripped his jaw, nodding. "I knew it would happen at some point," he agreed, and you shook your head.

"I just..." you trailed. "I thought I'd never see you again,' you said, and he smiled.

"I know," he replied. "And now that you have seen me again?" he asked and you laughed, staring at the water as you felt tears perk your eyes.

"I don't know whether to hate you for tricking me or love you for returning to me," you answered, and he smiled.

"I hope for the latter," he replied and kissed your hand, you smiled at him. You moved towards him and kissed him again.

"Never do that again," you said, and he smiled.

"I cannot promise that," he replied, and you nodded.

"I know," you said and stroked his cheek. "What happens now?" you asked.

"I don't know, every other time that I've got free of prison, I've just come up with another master plan," he said. "But now, I find myself very unwilling to put myself in danger for a little while at least," he said and you smiled, kissing him again. "You've ruined me, Tahlia," he said, and you kissed him again.

"I've not ruined you," you argued. "I've made you a new man, a better version of yourself," you said, and he smiled, leaning towards you. You kissed him and he held you there with a hand on your arm. "You can stay with me," you said, parting from him.

"Where?" he asked.

"Outside of town, I have a house," you said, and he looked behind you to the outskirts of town. "We can stay there and be together, not have to worry about saving the world," you offered, and his eyes moved back to you.

"He will seek me out," he warned, and you shrugged.

"Let him, I will take whatever time I have with you," you challenged, and he smiled at you.

"You are not good for me, Tahlia," he said, and you smiled.

"And that's what makes me so right for you," you answered and kissed him, he pulled you into him this time.


	17. A Magnificent Bull

You rolled over in your bed and came face to face with Loki asleep, a smile spread over your lips. You had forced him to cuddle with you the night before and traced over his skin all over again, he soon fell asleep. You leaned forward and kissed his lips, his eyes fluttered open.

"Again?" he murmured rolling on his back, and you smiled.

"It works every time," you replied, and he sighed, stretching.

"I swear, woman, you are part witch with your spells," he muttered sitting up and you reached out, trailing down his back. He shivered but rolled his shoulders forward, allowing you to continue.

"There are no spells, just love," you promised and wrapped your arms around him, resting your chin on his shoulder. You kissed his neck and he tilted his head. "Loki," you began, and he wrapped his hands around yours that were clasped over his chest.

"Soon," he assured, and you smiled. "I promise, Tahlia,"

"Thank you," you whispered and kissed his neck again. "I'm going to shower," you said and hopped out of bed. After, you walked downstairs and found Loki seated at your table with strawberries in front of him. "Healthy breakfast," you commented as you pulled your cereal out of the cabinet and poured it into a bowl, adding milk. "So, I've been meaning to ask, how did you find me?" you asked, and he looked at you.

"Tony," he replied, and your eyebrows raised.

"Tony told you. I'm surprised," you said. "When did you get out of prison?" you asked.

"A month ago," he said, and you looked at him confused, why did he take so long to come to see you?

"Oh," You said, and he smiled.

"I came here two days later," he stated.

"Why did you just now find me then?" you asked.

"I was nervous," he answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "So, I watched you instead," he said.

"Watched me?" you replied, and he nodded.

"I watched you get ready for work every day, I watched you walk to the park for lunch," he murmured.

"But I never saw you..." you said, and he smiled.

"Because I did not wish you to see me," he answered, and you shook your head.

"That's a little creepy," you said, and he smiled.

"Perhaps but I was worried when I revealed myself you wouldn't want anything to do with me," he said.

"So, you disguised yourself instead?" you asked.

"I wanted to see if you knew me as well as I thought," he said. "My mother has been the only one to see through my disguises," he commented.

"It was your eyes," you said.

"My eyes? They were brown, my eyes are not brown," he disagreed, and you smiled.

"No, not the colour, what was behind them," you countered. "I saw you,"

"You are a remarkable creature," he murmured, and you laughed standing up to put your bowl in the sink.

"I hope that's a good thing!" you called over your shoulder as you disappeared to brush your hair. As you ran the brush through your hair, Loki appeared behind you and took the brush from your hand, you watched him closely. He gently ran it through your hair and continued to brush it until it was free of any knots.

"I am a god, Tahlia," he said, and you stared at him in the mirror. "I have lived in the halls of Odin my entire life, I have powers far beyond the imagination," he continued. "But you have made me a man," he stated.

"Is that good?" you asked, and he smiled, kissing your shoulder.

"Yes, I believe it to be very good," he assured, and you smiled, turning to face him. You wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him tenderly. "I see now why mortal men have fought centuries for love, I used to baulk at it but now, it's clear," he remarked, and you smiled, kissing him again.

"I would die a thousand deaths to keep you with me," you promised, and he smiled, resting his forehead against yours.

"As would I," he vowed.

\------

The thunder rumbled overhead, you felt Loki toss in his sleep, and you stared into the darkness. He had been with you a week and you had seen it; you had seen the distance in his eyes. The thunder shook the foundations of the house and Loki woke with a gasp, you looked at him.

"Loki?" you asked, and he shook his head, falling back into bed.

"A nightmare," he dismissed, and you sighed. You moved closer to him and nestled your head on his shoulder.

"Do you have them a lot?" you asked.

"Less than usual lately," he replied, his finger stroking the small of your back and you smiled at his touch. You closed your eyes and let your thoughts run, imagining him kissing you. Slowly at first, tenderly upon your lips and then down your neck, running his lips down your skin. His hands gently caressing your body and he removed layers of clothing as he went. As your thoughts continued, you felt his fingers beneath your chin and he tipped your face towards him, kissing you. He pushed you on your back and hungover you, continuing to kiss you. He then began to kiss you as your thoughts had played out and he lifted the hem of your shirt, kissing your stomach.

"Wait," you whispered, pushing his hand away and you looked at him. You moved off the side of the bed and he stared at you as you brought your shirt over your head, revealing your naked breasts. You pushed your shorts down, revealing your nakedness completely. You climbed on to the bed and straddled him, sitting in his lap. He reached a hand up and after a moment, cupped your breast. He brought your nipple to his mouth and sucked upon it, you gasped. For so long you had dreamed this, wanted this and at last, he was letting you in. His passion grew with the increase in kissing and touching, he flipped you on your back.

"I'm a man of battle and chaos, Tahlia," he stated as he removed his shirt, tossing it to the side. "I am not gentle, and I am not kind," he continued, removing his pants. You stared at his naked form and tangled your fingers in his shoulder-length hair.

"And I am not patient," you replied, and he growled, turning you on your stomach. You felt him spread your legs and moaned in excitement as he shoved himself inside you. He grabbed hold of your hair and continued to slam into you, panting with each time.

"I want to hear you scream my name," he commanded.

"Loki!" you moaned, and he wrenched your hair back.

"Did I say moan? Scream it so the heavens above can hear it!" he shouted, and you did what he asked, you screamed his name so loud so many times your throat was hoarse. "I am your king, your master!" he snarled and wrapped a hand around your throat, you closed your eyes in pleasure. "You are mine and no man nor god will dare try to have you," he warned, his teeth sunk into your shoulder and you bucked in the thrill, he slapped your ass. "Who's your king?" he shouted.

"Loki!" you screamed back, and he growled, his fingers tightening around your throat. He slammed into you, again and again, making your thighs shake as you felt yourself orgasm. You wanted him, not just now but forever. You whimpered as you felt him pull out and felt him spill his seed on your back, he fell into the bed. "Gods," you murmured into your pillow and he smiled.

"Yes?" he asked, and you couldn't help but return the smile.


	18. Chapter 18

You woke up the next morning to an empty bed, you stretched, went to the bathroom, and headed downstairs. You stopped midway as you looked into your living room and saw Loki seated on the couch, staring at your cat. Your cat, Binks, was seated on the coffee table, his fabulously fluffy tail curled around him and he was staring directly back at Loki.

"What are you two doing?" you asked, coming down the rest of the stairs.

"I believe I'm being inspected," he stated and you picked Binks up in your arms, cuddling him.

"He's a love," you assured and sat down next to Loki, he looked slightly fearful at the cat. He put a finger out and Binks moved forward, smelling it. "He likes you," you promised and Loki eyed you then looked back to the cat. He gently pet his head and Binks closed his eyes, happily. You let

Binks go, he crawled into Loki's lap and put his front paws on his chest, Loki continued to pet him.

"I have never been a fan of animals but he may be the exception," Loki said and you smiled. "He is a very large cat," he remarked.

"He's Maine Coon, I found him in a shelter which was a surprise because normally they're expensive," you stated and Loki nodded. "How are you after last night?" you asked.

"Well, yourself?" he asked, looking at you with genuine concern.

"Very well," you agreed and he grinned at you. "I was wishing for round two this morning," you said, leaning forward and kissing his cheek.

"Were you? I thought I had tired you out," he said and you smiled.

"I think you will find, Loki Odinson that we mortal women are a lot stronger than you gods assume," you said standing and pulling him to his feet, Binks jumped off. Loki wrapped his arms around you as you kissed him and held him there.

"Then let us return to the bedroom," he whispered in your ear and you smiled, taking his hand. You returned to your bedroom and kicked the door shut as Binks had a very unnerving habit of not understanding personal space.

\------

It was fall when Thor came to visit, you were cooking dinner and Loki was setting the table when the doorbell rang.

"Who is that?" Loki asked you saw his defences immediately rise.

"I am sure it is just a salesman," you said and Loki eyed you then put the plate on the table before crossing the kitchen. He disappeared and you listened as he opened the door.

"Loki!" Thor's boisterous voice was heard and you smiled. Thor had asked if you would mind a visit and you had told him absolutely not, you just had forgotten to tell Loki he was coming.

"Brother, what a surprise to see you," Loki's voice replied, you knew that tone and it was not a happy tone. Loki and Thor appeared in the kitchen, you smiled.

"Thor!" you exclaimed, he hugged you with a hearty laugh.

"Did you not tell Loki I was coming?" he asked and you sighed.

"I'll be honest, I did forget," you said and Loki gave you one of his smiles where his eyes still managed to glower.

"Well that's alright, family is family, isn't that right, brother?" he asked, slapping Loki on the back and Loki nearly stumbled forward with the force.

"Yes," he agreed and you tried to hide your amusement. Thor demanded a tour of the house and you encouraged Loki to oblige, which at last he did. You continued to cook dinner and couldn't keep the smile from your lips. It amused you greatly to see the stark difference between Loki and his brother, you were amazed that both were still standing.


End file.
